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Other documents randomly have
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outside, when we pushed on in a north-easterly direction. But Nature
has provided so well for the defence of these poor pagans, that they
are not easily taken by surprise.
We succeeded, with the dawn of day, in passing the first broad
sheet of water of the wide “ngáljam” of Wúliya, but found great
difficulty in passing another water with a deep, argillaceous soil of so
boggy a nature that several of the horses fell, even those whose
riders had dismounted; and I felt not a little anxiety on account of my
own restless and fiery horse, which was snorting like a
hippopotamus. At length we left also this morass behind us, and
indulged in the hope of having overcome every difficulty, when
suddenly we had before us another and far deeper water, which
delayed us for a long time. But bad as was our situation whilst we
were thus sticking fast in the mud, I could scarcely help laughing
heartily, as this very delay enabled the poor pagans to escape with
their wives and property to a place of safety. As for most of the
horses, the water went over their backs, while I on my stately
charger had the water three inches above my knee. A courageous
enemy, led on by a clever commander, might at this moment have
easily captured most of the horses, and put all the host to flight. At
length, after two hours’ exertion, we emerged from this broad sheet
of water, which, when full, must present the appearance of an
extensive central lake three or four miles in breadth, and many more
in length, and now entered upon green pasture-ground, which,
however, during the highest state of the inundation is itself under
water. Here the army divided into three bodies, and pushed on
vigorously, although a great many had retraced their steps upon
seeing the deep water.
Proceeding in this way, we reached the first hamlets, and here
formed a regular line of battle, while the greater part of the army
rushed on in advance, at the sound of the drum and the horns of the
kashéllas, to see if there was anything left for them; but all the
inhabitants had made their escape. Another delay occurred owing to
one of the followers of Bú-Bakr falling into a ditch or hollow twelve
feet in depth and the same in breadth, from which he was extricated
with some difficulty, while the horse died on the spot. But there was
plenty of leisure, the pagans having long ago had sufficient time to
make their escape beyond the river. If those simple people had
followed the same stratagem which the Bórnu people employ against
the Tuarek, digging a quantity of holes and covering them over with
bushes, they might have done a great deal of mischief to the cavalry.
This whole tract of country still belongs to the extensive district of
Wúliya; but the villages have separate names, which, owing to the
unfortunate circumstances under which I visited the country, I was
not able to learn. Having passed a considerable village, we reached,
a little before eleven o’clock, the furthermost line which the waters of
the river Serbéwuel attain during its highest state of inundation, while
when they recede they leave extensive ponds of stagnant water
behind, which nourish a rich supply of the most succulent herbage.
The shore was here about eight feet high, while at the other point,
where we had visited the river a few days previously, it was not so
well marked. Of course, where the inner shore consists of steeper
banks, so that the river does not rise over the higher level to a
considerable height, the outward shore cannot be marked so
distinctly.
About thirteen hundred yards beyond this grassy outward shore
we reached the inner bank of the river, which consisted of sand, and
was here only ten feet high. The river at present was confined to this
bank, running at this spot from S. 25° E.; but a little lower down it
changed its direction, running west by north. Higher up, the opposite
shore was richly overgrown with trees, among which deléb- and
dúm-palms were conspicuous; but no villages were to be seen,
although a place named Kár is said to lie on the eastern shore. The
reason we had directed our march to this point seemed to be, that
the river is here rather broad, being about eight hundred yards
across, and forming a large sandbank, so that my friends had
entertained the hope that they would be enabled to ford it, which in
some years, when the rains have not been very considerable, may
be possible at this season, and even this year might probably be
effected in two months’ time. But at present this was not the case,
and the rapacious Shúwa Arabs were hurrying about in despair, to
and fro, between the island and the western shore.
 I too took the direction of the island, as the most interesting point,
although I became aware that it was not possible to penetrate further
on. The first branch of the river on this side of the island, which was
the broader of the two, was not more than from eighteen to nineteen
inches deep, and could not but become dry in a short time, when the
island, or rather sandbank, should form the knee of the bend of the
river; but the eastern branch, though apparently only about one
hundred and twenty or one hundred and thirty yards broad, seemed
to be of considerable depth, running along with a strong current, and
my old friend Abú Dáúd, one of the principal Shúwa chiefs, whom I
encountered at the southern point of the sandbank, with a sad
countenance, indicated the whole nature of this stream with the
laconic and significant expression, “Yákul” (“It eats”),—that is to say,
it is not fordable.
It would have been the more dangerous to attempt to force the
passage, as the opposite shore, which was so near, and only four
feet high, was occupied by a number of stalwart pagans, who
mocked at our inability to cross the river, and seemed to be quite
ready to receive in a satisfactory manner anybody who should make
the attempt. It would have been easy to have blown away these
people, and thus to clear the place of descent; but for such an
undertaking my friends had not sufficient courage or energy. I did not
see a single Kanúri on the island, but only Shúwa, who always
expose themselves to the greatest risk, and push on the furthest.
The pagans had not only occupied the opposite bank, but even kept
afloat four canoes at some distance above the island, in order to run
down, with the assistance of the current, any one who should dare to
cross the river. Three of these canoes were small; but the fourth was
of a larger size, and manned by ten Músgu.
These canoes were the only craft visible on the river, and probably
constituted the whole naval force of these pagans. Of course in a
country politically rent into so many petty principalities, where every
little community, as in ancient times in Latium and Greece, forms a
separate little state in opposition to its neighbours, no considerable
intercourse is possible, and those natural highroads with which
Nature has provided these countries, and the immense field
therefore which is open in these regions to human industry and
activity, must remain unproductive under such circumstances; but it
will be turned to account as soon as the restless spirit of the
European shall bring these countries within the sphere of his activity.
This period must come. Indeed I am persuaded that in less than fifty
years European boats will keep up a regular annual intercourse
between the great basin of the Tsád and the Bay of Biyáfra.
An almost uninterrupted communication has been opened by
Nature herself; for, from the mouth of the Kwára to the confluence of
the river Bénuwé with the Máyo Kébbi, there is a natural passage
navigable without further obstruction for boats of about four feet in
depth, and the Máyo Kébbi itself, in its present shallow state, seems
to be navigable for canoes, or flat-bottomed boats like those of the
natives, which I have no doubt may, during the highest state of the
inundation, go as far as Dáwa in the Túburi country, where Dr. Vogel
was struck by that large sheet of water which to him seemed to be
an independent central lake, but which is in reality nothing but a
widening of the upper part of the Máyo Kébbi.
It is very probable that from this place there may be some other
shallow watercourse, proceeding to join the large ngáljam of
Démmo, so that there would exist a real bifurcation between the
basin of the Niger and that of the Tsád. But even if this should not be
the case, the breadth of the water-parting between these two basins
at the utmost cannot exceed twenty miles, consisting of an entirely
level flat, and probably of alluvial soil, while the granitic region
attached to that isolated rocky mountain which I have mentioned
above may, most probably, be turned without difficulty. The level of
the Tsád and that of the river Bénuwé near Géwe, where it is joined
by the Máyo Kébbi, seem to be almost identical; at least, according
to all appearance, the Bénuwé at the place mentioned is not more
than eight hundred and fifty or nine hundred feet above the level of
the sea. All this bounty of Nature will, I trust, one day be turned to
account, though many changes must take place in this country
before a regular and peaceful intercourse can be established. The
very scenes which I witnessed are an unmistakable proof of the
misery into which these regions are plunged.
 But, as I have carried away the reader’s attention from the thread
of the narrative, so I myself had almost forgotten where I was, and it
required an admonition from my friend Abú Dáúd to induce me to
look after my own safety; for already the greater part of the Shúwa
had returned to the western shore, and threatened to leave us alone,
and it did not seem very agreeable to be taken in the rear by the
pagans, and perhaps even to be cut off by the boats. I therefore
returned to the western shore, where the army was scattered about,
not knowing what to do, being rather disinclined to retrace their steps
without having enriched themselves with booty of some kind.
Following then the course of the river, I witnessed an interesting
and animated scene,—a dozen courageous natives occupying a
small elevated island, with steep banks, separated from the shore by
a narrow but deep channel, setting at defiance a countless host of
enemies, many of whom were armed with firearms. But African
muskets are not exactly like Minié rifles, and a musketeer very often
misses his aim at a distance of thirty or forty yards. It was
astonishing to see that none of this small band of heroes was
wounded, notwithstanding the repeated firing of a number of Kanúri
people. Either the balls missed their aim entirely, or else, striking
upon the shields of these poor pagans, which consisted of nothing
but wickerwork, were unable to pierce this slight defence; for not only
was the powder of a bad quality, making a great deal of noise
without possessing any strength, but even the balls were of
extremely light weight, consisting of pewter, as is generally the case
here. However, it was not prudent of me to witness this scene (which
was so little flattering to my friends) for too long a time; for when they
saw that I had my gun with me, they called upon me urgently to fire
at these scoffers, and when I refused to do so, reproached me in
terms which very often fell to my lot—“ʿAbd el Kerím fáida nsé bágo,”
meaning that I was a useless sort of person.
It is a remarkable fact that in almost the whole of the Músgu
country, except near a few isolated granite mountains, there is not a
single stone, else it would have been almost more profitable to have
thrown stones at these people, than to fire at them with the pewter
balls. With regard to those peculiar shields of wickerwork with which
these courageous Músgu people managed to protect themselves so
adroitly, I had afterwards an opportunity of examining them, and
found them to be about sixteen inches broad at the top, twenty-two
at the bottom, and about forty in length, but hollow. The material
consists of the same kind of reed with which their huts are thatched.
About noon the army began its march homewards. Certainly it was
not overburdened with spoil; for scarcely fifteen slaves had been
taken, mostly decrepit old women, who either could not or would not
leave their comfortable cottages. The anger and disappointment of
the army was vented upon the habitations of these people; and all
the cheerful dwellings which we passed were destroyed by fire. This
certainly was a heavy loss to the inhabitants, not so much on
account of the huts, which they might easily rebuild, as on account of
the granaries, the grain having been harvested some time
previously; and, as far as I became aware, there being no
subterranean magazines or catamores, as I had observed with the
Marghí, and the fugitives in the hurry of their escape mostly probably
having only been able to save a small portion of their store. In
estimating, therefore, the miseries of these slave-hunts, we ought
not only to take into account the prisoners led into slavery, and the
full-grown men who are slaughtered, but also the famine and
distress consequent upon these expeditions, although nature has
provided this peculiar tribe with innumerable shallow watercourses
swarming with fish, which must tend greatly to alleviate their
sufferings under such circumstances. The forest intervening between
these villages consisted almost exclusively of “kindín” or talha-trees,
which were just in flower, diffusing a very pleasant fragrance, while
here and there they were overshadowed by isolated dúm-palms. As
for déleb-palms, I did not observe a single specimen in the whole of
this district; but beyond the river to the south-east, as I have
mentioned above, I had seen several in the distance.
After a march of four hours, we again reached the broad ngáljam
of Démmo, but at a different point from where we had crossed it in
the morning with so much delay. It seemed almost providential that
we had not taken this route in the morning, as the poor Músgu
people would have had less time to make their escape. Leaving the
main body of the cavalry behind me, I pursued my march towards
my homely tent without delay; for, having been on horseback for
more than twelve hours without anything to eat, I was quite ready for
some repose and refreshment. But it took me full an hour and a half
to cross this peculiar basin, which at present was dry in most places,
and overgrown with tall rank grass, but swampy in some parts, and
intersected by holes caused by the footprints of the elephant. A mile
further along the north-western border of this swamp brought me to
my tent, and to the several dishes which awaited me; and this was
one of those rare occasions, during my travels in Negroland, on
which I dined with a truly European appetite.
The vizier was very gracious, and praised my courage in having
accompanied this distant expedition quite by myself; but the Kanúri,
who had taken part in it, detracted from my praise, using the very
terms which I have mentioned above—“Fáida nsé bágo.” Indeed,
this became one of my nicknames during my stay in Bórnu, and was
the reason why I was less popular with most of the people than my
companion. It is very natural that the motto “Afí fáida nsé?” (“Of what
use is he?”) should be the guiding principle, not only of Europeans,
but barbarians and semi-barbarians.
The following day we remained on the same spot, probably for no
other purpose than to give some repose to the people who had
accompanied the expedition the preceding day; and the vizier, who
was fully aware of my ardent desire to push further southward, at
least as far as the equator, took occasion to make merry at my
expense, and, to the great horror of the effeminate courtiers,
suddenly proclaimed that it was his firm intention to lead the
expedition into those unknown regions in the interior. At times,
indeed, he could be exceedingly amiable; and he was clever enough
to conceive how Europeans could be induced to undertake such
hazardous journeys, although he was scarcely able to appreciate the
amount of courage which such an undertaking is able to inspire. He
had often spoken with me concerning my project of pushing on
towards the east coast; and he thought that a troop of ten Europeans
would be able to accomplish it, though he anticipated great
obstructions from the quantity of watercourses in those equatorial
regions; and there can be no doubt that this would be one of the
greatest obstacles to such an undertaking.
In order to console me, and soothe my disappointment on finding
that this was to be the furthest point of the expedition, and that we
should retrace our steps from hence without even visiting the country
of the Túburi, he ordered Mʿallem Jýmma to be called, in order to
inform me how far the enterprising Púllo conqueror Búba had
penetrated beyond Búban-jídda; but he found that I was already fully
acquainted with this fact from other sources. The very interesting
route of the Mʿallem Jýmma from Démmo, by the village of the
Túburi to Láka and Láme, I have already communicated on a former
occasion. It is to be hoped that these regions will soon become
better known, when English steamers shall go annually up the river
Bénuwé, and enable travellers to start afresh from thence for those
inland regions.
 CHAPTER XLV.
RETURN TO BÓRNU.

Wednesday, Jan. 7.—This was the day when we were to bid

farewell to all projects of penetrating further towards the south or
south-east. It was rather remarkable, that, early in the morning, at
the very moment when the drum was beating, the moon was
eclipsed; but our commander-in-chief was too much enlightened to
be frightened at such a phenomenon like the Athenian general
before Syracuse. He requested Mr. Overweg to explain it to him; but
otherwise he was not much concerned about it.
We this time kept a little more towards the east than on our
outward march, approaching closer to the river of Logón. Only a
short tract of clear forest separated the cultivated grounds of Démmo
from another village, where, besides Negro corn, we found tobacco
and cotton in friendly community on the same piece of ground. We
had already seen much cultivation of tobacco in this country, and
were impressed with the opinion, however strange it may seem, that
it was an indigenous plant, and not introduced at a recent period; we
had moreover been informed, that not only the men, but even the
women in this country, are passionately fond of smoking. But as for
cotton, we had not yet seen any in the whole tract of the Músgu
country which we had travelled over; and its appearance here
seemed to be a step in advance towards civilization, caused,
probably, by the influence of the neighbouring town of Logón.
After a short interruption, there followed another village, which was
succeeded by forest, and then another swamp, at present dry, and
overgrown with tall rank grass, but difficult to pass on account of
innumerable holes. Shortly afterwards the country on our right
assumed an open and very pleasant appearance, a river with a clear
sheet of water, but apparently without a current, winding through it in
tortuous meanderings, and closely approaching the higher ground
along which the numerous host was pursuing its march. The slope
was adorned with wild fig-trees and acacias, which were
overshadowed by two fine deléb-palms. This open country was
succeeded by the well-cultivated and shaded fields which lay
stretched out between the scattered courtyards of another village;
and here we encamped, my companion and I pitching our tents near
a beautiful sort of fig-tree of the species called “báure” by the Háusa,
and “kágo” by the Kanúri, or at least the Mánga.
The whole village was deserted; only a few neglected members of
the poultry tribe were running about, endeavouring to escape from
the hands of their greedy pursuers. It was a very hot day, the hottest
we had on this expedition, the thermometer, at half-past one in the
afternoon, indicating 100° in the cool shade of our fine fig-tree. The
encampment was cheerful and pleasant; but in the evening a frightful
alarm arose—the rumour being spread that the pagans were
attacking the “ngáufate,”—the great drum of the commander-in-chief
keeping up a tremendous din, and all the people hurrying along in
every direction. The alarm was so great that my companion gave up
his tent, and retreated with his people to that of the vizier; and I
found myself obliged to allow my two servants to follow him also. As
for myself, I remained where I was, for I felt little inclination to have
my tent once more plundered, as had been the case on our
expedition to Kánem. It soon proved to be nothing but a false alarm.
In these predatory incursions, the rapacious Shúwa suffer the
greatest loss, as it is they who always push on furthest, and run the
greatest risk; but, on the other hand, they also succeed in carrying
off secretly a great deal of spoil to their native villages without its
becoming subject to the general partition. None of them have
firelocks, being only armed with missiles usually consisting of one
large spear, or kasákka, and four small javelins, or bállem; very few
of them have shields.
Thursday, Jan. 8.—The country through which we passed was
extremely fertile and beautiful, the scenery during the first part of our
march preserving in general the same features which it exhibited on
the preceding day. We ourselves kept along the high ground, at the
foot of which a clear open sheet of water was meandering along,
while beyond, towards the east, an unbounded grassy plain
stretched out, with a scanty growth of trees in the background, and
only broken towards the south-east by a low chain of hills. At the
distance of a mile we reached some hamlets where dúm- and deléb-
palms were grouped together in a remarkable manner, starting forth
from, and illuminated by, the sea of flames which was devouring the
village, the whole forming a very picturesque spectacle.
Further on we made a halt on the slope of the rising ground, the
various troops, distinguished by the diversity of colours of their
dresses, grouping themselves around some buildings which were
almost consumed by the flames, while I found leisure to sketch the
fertile country before us. The people themselves were struck with its
beauty; and when we continued our march, I took an opportunity to
enter into a conversation with our friend the vizier, with regard to the
policy which they pursued with these people, and the way in which
they desolated these regions; and I asked him whether they would
not act more prudently in allowing the natives to cultivate their fertile
country in tranquillity, only levying a considerable tribute upon them.
But the vizier answered me, that it was only by the most violent
means that they were able to crush these pagans, who cherished
their independence and liberty above everything, and that this was
the reason why he burnt all the granaries, in order to subdue them
by famine; and he added that even of famine they were less sensible
than he could wish, as the water in this region afforded them an
unlimited supply of fish.
Slaves are the only articles which the conquerors want from the
subjected tribes; by carrying into slavery great numbers of them they
force them into subjection, and even the tribute which they levy, after
having subdued them, consists of slaves. All this will be changed as
soon as a regular and legitimate intercourse has been opened along
the river Bénuwé into the heart of these regions, when the natural
produce of the soil will be in constant request—such as cotton,
indigo, vegetable butter, ground-nuts, ivory, rhinoceros’ horns, wax,
hides, and many other articles. The vizier himself, although a strict
Moslim, was too enlightened to lay much stress upon the spreading
of Islám; but nevertheless the idea that these unfortunate creatures
fully deserve such treatment, in their character as pagans (kofár or
“kérdi”), blunted his feelings to their sufferings.
Further on we crossed the water where it was shallower, and, a
little beyond, another meadow-water of greater breadth but not so
deep, and then entered a fine undulating country, while an arm of the
water remained on our left. The whole country was extremely well
cultivated, and densely inhabited, village succeeding village, while
large trees, mostly of the ngábbore and karáge kind, enveloped the
whole in the finest vegetation. Some of the huts were distinguished
by a natural ornamental network or covering, formed by that kind of
Cucurbitacea which I have mentioned before as named “ságade” by
the natives, and which is probably identical with the species called
Melopepo. The aspect of the country was the more pleasing, and left
the impression of a certain degree of industry, owing to the tobacco-
plants just standing in flower.
Amidst such scenery, we took up our encampment at an early
hour in the morning, a beautifully winding watercourse, which was
bordered by a fine grassy slope about twenty feet high, closely
approaching on our right. The watercourse was about sixty yards
broad, but of considerable depth, at least in this place, and full of
clear fresh water, which was gently gliding along, and disappeared
further down in the plain. Here I lay down for an hour in the cool
shade of a large karáge-tree, and allowed myself to be carried away
by the recollections caused by the ever-varying impressions of such
a wandering life, which repays the traveller fully for all the hardships
and privations which he has to endure, and endows him with
renewed energy to encounter fresh dangers.
I have before observed what trouble the hard alluvial soil caused
us in pitching our tents; but here the argillaceous soil was succeeded
by loose sand, which forms the border of the river. The light troops,
soon after our arrival to-day, had dispersed in all directions and
brought a considerable quantity of cattle from the neighbouring
villages; the cattle, however, hereabouts are only of middle size, and
the cows yield little milk, and that of very poor quality.
 It seems remarkable that the Músgu, as well as the Marghí, and
several divisions of the kindred Kótoko, call the cattle by a name
which closely approaches that given to it by the Háusa people, while
the Bátta call it by a name which is certainly derived from the
Fulfúlde, or the language of the Fúlbe. Such linguistic relations are
not without interest, as they afford some little insight into the history
of the civilization of these regions. A little variety was given to the
monotonous proceedings of our rather inglorious expedition, by the
fact of one of the Shúwa, who was supposed to have been killed a
few days previously, being found under a tree in the forest, severely
wounded, but still alive, after having undergone great hardships and
privations.
Friday, Jan. 9.—The whole district in which we had been roving
about since the 30th December belongs to Wúliya, which is
decidedly one of the most fertile and best-irrigated regions in the
world.
A desolate border-district, consisting at times of green swampy
ground uprooted by the footprints of the elephant, and on this
account affording a very difficult passage for cavalry, at others of
dense forest, the one following the other in rapid succession,
separated Wúliya from another principality, of the name of Bárea,
and inhabited by a tribe of the Músgu of the name of Ábare. It was
characteristic of the little peaceful intercourse which exists among
these various petty tribes, that the Ábare did not seem to have had
the slightest information of the approach of the expedition, till we
suddenly came upon them through the dense forest, so that they had
scarcely time to escape with their families from the village, and
endeavour to hide themselves in the dense covert of the forest
towards the east. They were pursued and overpowered, after a short
resistance, by the continually increasing numbers of the enemy; and
the booty of that day, chiefly in cattle, was rather considerable.
Slaves were also brought in in considerable numbers, principally
young boys and girls. The distance of the field of battle spared us the
sight of the slaughter of the full-grown men.
We chose our camping-ground on the stubble-fields between the
straggling groups of the village, which were beautifully adorned by
some fine specimens of the deléb-palm; and I took the opportunity of
making a sketch of this scene of natural fertility, and wanton
destruction of human happiness. The huts in general were of the
same construction and arrangement as those described above; but
in one of them I found a kind of three-pointed harpoon or spear very
similar to a hay-fork, with this difference, that the middle point was
rather longer. The handle also was rather long, measuring about
eight feet. It probably was used for catching fish, rather than as a
weapon, otherwise it would scarcely have been left behind; but it
may easily have served both purposes.
Thus by very short marches we again approached Bórnu, keeping
mostly at a short distance eastward from our former route, and
encamped the following day in the midst of another straggling
village, the fields of which were especially shaded by fine bíto-trees
(Balanites Ægyptiaca), the soil being as hard as iron. I had scarcely
pitched my tent when Hámed, the son of Íbrahím Wádáy, one of the
courtiers with whom I was on friendly terms, sent to me, begging I
would pay him a visit; and, upon complying with his wish, he
introduced into my presence a female slave who had been taken the
day before, telling me that I might make a drawing of her; for he
knew that I was making strict inquiries after the origin and customs of
these tribes, and that I was making occasional sketches. This female
slave was certainly worthy of a sketch, as she was one of the most
stately women I saw here. But I entertained some suspicion that she
was not of Músgu origin, but belonged to the Marghí; for in the whole
of the Músgu country I had not observed a single individual of red
colour, but all were of the same dirty black, approaching to what the
French call café-au-lait, while this woman was of a red complexion.
She certainly wore in her under lip the large bone, the national
emblem of the Músgu females; but this custom she might have
adopted. As for herself, she would neither give me any information
with respect to her origin, nor sit still in order to allow me to finish my
sketch. She was tall and well grown, with the exception of the legs,
which were rather crooked; and being still a young woman, her
breasts had not attained that bag-like shape which is so disgusting in
the elder females of this country. Her features were only a little
disfigured by the bone in the under lip. Her neck was richly
 ornamented with strings of beads; but these were as
little peculiar to her as the cotton cloth round her
loins, having been given her by the new master into
whose hands she had fallen. The national dress of
the Músgu females consists of nothing but a narrow
bandage, formed of bast, twisted like a rope, which
is fastened between the legs and round the waist
like a T bandage.
A circumstance happened here which caused a
great sensation, particularly among the courtiers.
The last messengers who had been sent from
Kúkawa with despatches for the commander-in-
chief, as I have observed, had been destroyed by
the pagans; and it was on this day, and in this place,
that, while all the cottages were being pillaged and
ransacked, three of the letters of which those
messengers had been the bearers, were found in
the pocket of a shirt which had been hid in a clay jar.
This was evidently the shirt of the messenger
himself; and the blood with which it had been
stained had been washed out without taking the
letters out of the pocket. Devoid as the expedition
was of feats of valour and interest, the greatest
importance was attached to this little incident.
Sunday, Jan. 11.—When we left this place our
friends just barely escaped punishment for their
barbarous proceeding of burning the villages, in
which we had encamped, as soon as we left them;
for the conflagration spread before we had gained the open country,
and a most horrible crushing took place among the burning huts.
Had there been any wind, great part of the army might have been
severely scorched. The country which we passed to-day was
intersected by numerous watercourses; and we had to cross and
recross them several times. Here we passed a place where the poor
natives, in the consciousness of their weakness, seemed to have
been aroused to new and unwonted energy for building a large
fortification, but had been obliged to leave it half finished. Our march
was extremely short, and scarcely extended to three miles, when we
encamped in a village which seemed to have been ransacked at a
former period. It lay straggling over a wide extent of ground, in
separate groups of cottages, which were surrounded by stubble-
fields shaded by karáge-trees of a richness and exuberance which I
had not seen before, and surpassing even those fine trees of the
same species which I have described near the village Kadé.
Of course every one was desirous of having his tent pitched in the
shade of one of these beautiful trees, when suddenly the intruders
were attacked by swarms of large bees, which, settling behind their
ears, tormented them to the utmost, as if they wanted to take
revenge for the mischief that had been done to their masters, and to
defend their favourite resting-places, against these cruel intruders. It
is well known that swarms of bees had almost caused the
destruction of Mungo Park’s, as well as Major Gray’s expedition; but
here a whole army was running away from these little creatures.
Even those who had encamped at a greater distance were only able
to protect themselves by the large volumes of smoke which issued
from the fires they had lighted. Before this, we had not observed the
rearing of bees in this country; but here the larger trees were full of
beehives, made of large-sized blocks. Even flocks of turtle-doves
were not wanting in this fertile region so rich in water and vegetation.
In this pleasant spot we remained encamped the following day,
while part of the army was sent out in a southerly direction towards
our former encampment, Kákala, which was only at a few miles’
distance, in order to try their fortune thereabouts; but the pagans
being upon their guard, they returned empty-handed in the evening.
Our food to-day was varied, to our great satisfaction, by an excellent
fish of considerable size, which we obtained from the neighbouring
pond. Fish seems to be plentiful in this quarter; but whether the
number of small ridges and channels which we observed on our
march the following day were intended for catching fish, which might
enter them at the highest level of the inundation, or for preparing the
fields for cultivation, I am not quite sure; but the former seemed to be
the case, there being no signs whatever of the fields being brought
under labour. Dense forest and open pasture-ground alternated, the
forest, consisting of middle-sized acacias, interrupted now and then
by the kálgo-tree, with its ash-coloured leaves and its dark red pods,
or by the kókia.
The country, however, became exceedingly interesting and
pleasant when we reached one of the numerous watercourses of
these African Netherlands, an open and clear river about seventy
yards broad, which being fringed on each bank with a border of
slender deléb-palms, or kamelútu, in the clear magnificent morning
sky, afforded a most picturesque view. We here crossed this water,
and passed a village on our left, and, keeping along the fresh turf of
the western bank a mile further on, reached a spot where another
branch, running eastward apparently, though no current is visible,
and fringed likewise by palms of the same description, joins the main
channel. The country being without any perceptible inclination, it is
extremely difficult, nay almost impossible, to decide about the
direction of these watercourses, except during the period of their
highest inundation. But the fertile and picturesque landscape beyond
this narrow sheet of water, which stretched along in a regular line like
an artificial canal, did not seem at all to be deserted, natives being
seen in every direction. The commander of the expedition therefore
ordered a short halt, the army presenting their front to the enemy,
and preventing the stragglers from crossing the river, which, owing to
their greediness for spoil, they seemed to have not a little inclination
to do. But the great men of Bórnu at the present day do not like any
unusual exertion; and it was decided to await the arrival of the
camels, to encamp at ease, and to take luncheon. We then turned
off a little to the westward, entered a village, and encamped in the
stubble-fields.
Suddenly, just about noon, without my having any previous
knowledge of it, the vizier and his officers mounted on horseback, in
order to attack the pagans on the other side of the water; but these
poor people, to whom had been given full opportunity of estimating
the strength of the army, had thought it prudent to make use of the
leisure thus afforded them, not by the mercy, but by the cowardly
disposition of their enemies, to convey their families and property
into a place of safety; for the river of Logón passed at a distance of
only four miles from this place, and in its present state was capable
of affording perfect security to the persecuted natives, their pursuers
having no boats. But although the army did not go to a great
distance, and returned after an absence of three hours, I was rather
sorry for having neglected this opportunity of obtaining a sight of the
river of Logón again at another place, and likewise of visiting once
more that picturesque district, so rich in deléb-palms, which was
evidently one of the finest in the whole country. Mr. Overweg, who
had received previous information of the intention of the vizier, was
this time more fortunate than myself, and afterwards informed me
that they had been obliged to keep first along the smaller river, in
order to reach the ford where we had crossed it in the morning. The
great river, which they reached about three miles beyond, exhibited a
single bed, and was not fordable.
While remaining behind in the empty encampment, I lamented the
misery of accompanying such an expedition; for nothing can be more
disheartening to the feelings of a traveller who is desirous of
knowledge, than to visit these beautiful countries under such
circumstances, when the original inhabitants are either exterminated,
or obliged to seek their safety in flight, when all traces of their
cheerful life are destroyed, and the abodes of human happiness
converted into desolation, when no one is left to acquaint him with all
the significant names which the various characteristic features of the
country must necessarily bear, especially those numberless creeks,
swamps, and rivers which intersect this country in all directions. The
stranger who intrudes upon the natives in this hostile manner is
scarcely able to make out a few dry names of the principal dwelling-
places, and, being placed under such disadvantageous
circumstances, is at least justified in speaking more emphatically of
the endless misery into which the finest and most populous regions
of this continent are plunged by these slave-hunting expeditions of
their merciless Mohammedan neighbours. This fertile district, which
is enclosed by the river of Logón on the east, and by the narrow
channel-like watercourse on the west side, seems to be that very
dominion of “Fúss,” the power of which, as I have related before,
was greatly dreaded by our friends.
 This was the coolest day we had as yet experienced on our
expedition, the thermometer, in the cool shade of a tree, at half-past
one o’clock in the afternoon, indicating only 84°. This was probably
attributable to the fresh northerly breeze which sprung up about
noon; for during the night it was not so cold as we felt it afterwards,
the thermometer during this time indicating, at sunrise, between 56°
and 59°, and at sunset between 74° and 77°.
Wednesday, Jan. 14.—We made a longer march than usual, while
the character of the country changed entirely, and not, as it seemed,
to its advantage; for instead of a fertile landscape, clothed with rich
verdure, we entered upon bleak alluvial plains scantily overgrown
with stunted mimosas, and to all appearance almost unfit for
producing grain. It was one of those remarkable days in January
which, in the whole of Central Africa, form a distinct season by
themselves. A thick fog enveloped the whole country, and excluded
any distant view, and, while subsequently it helped to increase the
dismal character of the country, in the beginning of our march it
prevented us from enjoying once more the rich scenery of the
preceding day; for we had first to return to the bank of that beautiful
clear sheet of water along which our march had led the day before.
Its banks here also were quite flat, but the sheet of water was wider
than at the place where we had seen it before. Proceeding a little in
advance of the army, I obtained a sight of a river-horse just at the
moment when it raised its immense head above the surface of the
watery element.
But as soon as we left this fine clear sheet of water the character
of the country changed entirely, assuming an exceedingly sombre
aspect, and we passed a hamlet more cheerless and miserable than
any I had seen in the whole of this country. Not a single trace of
cultivation was seen on the bleak, black, argillaceous soil; and it was
evident that the inhabitants of this hamlet subsisted solely on the fish
which they were able to catch; and these may be abundant, as the
whole configuration of the ground evidently shows that this entire
tract is reached by the inundation during the rainy season.
The country preserved the same aspect as we proceeded
onwards; and the hamlets which we passed were not of a more
inviting appearance than the first. Only now and then an isolated
deléb-palm, or kamelútu, raised its magnificent tuft into the air, and
served, by the contrast it afforded, to make this spot appear more
gloomy. A large piece of ground was entirely covered with aghúl
(Hedysarus alhajji) which seemed to me not a little remarkable, as I
did not remember to have seen this plant, which is so much liked by
the camel, since I had left Taganáma.
The country assumed more and more the appearance of a swamp
at present dry; and we were even obliged to change our direction
frequently, in order to avoid spots where the bog had not dried up,
while everywhere we observed the same kind of small ridges which I
have mentioned before. Further on, the ground became a little drier,
but presented only a monotonous waste, with detached bunches of
rank grass, overshadowed now and then by scanty and stunted
karáge-trees scarcely fifteen feet high, while we had been
accustomed, in the Músgu country, to see this kind of tree assume
the size of the most magnificent specimens of the vegetable
kingdom, with an elevation of from seventy to eighty feet, and a
crown of not less diameter. As far as the eye could reach, the
character of the country presented the same poor appearance; but,
as I have mentioned before, the sky was not very clear, and the view
was therefore rather limited. The bush of the fan-palm seemed to be
quite solitary, without there being a full-grown specimen to be seen.
At length this swampy ground seemed to have an end; but nothing
but poor stubble-fields, where the crop had failed, took its place, with
here and there a few detached poor-looking huts, the few trees
which were visible exhibiting the same scanty growth that we had
observed in the district through which we had just passed. At last the
eye, fatigued by the length of this gloomy tract, was refreshed by the
sight of a field with a fresh crop of másakuwá, or Holcus cernuus,
though it was far from being a rich one. Already here, besides the
huts common in this country, others, of a remarkable and peculiar
style, became visible, such as I shall describe further on, and as only
the most excellent clay soil can enable the natives to build.
Entering for a while a grassy plain, we reached an open water,
such as the Kanúri people call komádugu, about thirty yards broad,